Constantine IX Monomachos
Constantine IX Monomachos became emperor in 1042 after marrying the elderly Empress Zoe, who chose him personally from among available aristocratic candidates after the fall of Michael V. His reign is remembered for both cultural achievement and serious military failure. On the positive side, he restored and expanded the University of Constantinople, establishing a law school under John Xiphilinos and a philosophy faculty under Michael Psellos, contributing to the intellectual renaissance of the eleventh century. In foreign and military affairs, however, his reign was catastrophic. He reduced military spending and allowed the theme army system to deteriorate. The consequences were immediate and severe. The Seljuk Turks under Tughril Beg made their first serious incursions into Armenia and eastern Anatolia. In 1054 the Great Schism between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches occurred during his reign, when papal legates and the patriarch Michael Keroularios exchanged mutual excommunications. Constantine died in January 1055.
- Lived: 1000 CE – 1055 CE
- Nationality: byzantine
- Roles: emperor, head_of_state
